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Parrino gets into starting lineup at shortstop

Parrino gets into starting lineup at shortstop

SAN DIEGO -- Infielder Andy Parrino found himself in the Padres' lineup for Wednesday afternoon's game against the Nationals at Petco Park. He started at shortstop and hit second.

The night before, Parrino came off the bench and delivered a single that led to a run in the Padres' 3-1 loss to Washington.

Whether he's making an occasional start or pinch-hitting and playing defense late in a game, Parrino said he has to be prepared. His preparation has paid off -- entering Wednesday's game, he was hitting
.320 (8-for-25) with two doubles and a home run.

"Every once in a while, it's nice to get in there and get some ABs, but no matter what, I'm ready to play every day," said Parrino, who made his Major League debut last season with the Padres. "Especially being in the National League, you always have to be ready for double-switches and everything late in the game. I'm ready to go every day."

Parrino entered Tuesday's game in the seventh inning and hit a single off Tyler Clippard. Center fielder Jayson Werth mishandled the ball, allowing Cameron Maybin to score on the error.

"When you're coming in late, the biggest thing is to stay aggressive, try to get a good pitch to hit, and put it in play hard somewhere,"
Parrino said.

Parrino won one of the Padres' final roster spots coming out of Spring Training. In the Minors, Parrino played various positions and was accustomed to sometimes having a bench role.

Wednesday marked his fifth game at shortstop. He has also played five games at second base and one game at third base this season.

"The biggest thing that helped me down there was playing a lot of different positions," Parrino said about his time in the Minors. "That just got me more comfortable being able to play different positions in the infield, and even some of the outfield."